Homeward Bound!

We got out of the hospital early. (Not because they kicked us out, but because Liz was feeling up to it!)

We surprised Lily with coming home. She had a rough time leaving the hospital the last couple of nights. But all the girls are home now and we're hoping for good luck tonight with sleeping and eating!

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More pics of Charlotte

We still haven't decided about whether to call her Charlotte, Charlie, or Lottie...but here's some new pics!

With Lily and Mommy

Lily loves her sister!

With Daddy...Lily took this picture!

With my girls...

Lily took this picture too!

Charlotte...

Facetime with Nana TT and Paw.

Big sister...

Our friend Candi sent presents for Lily! (So sweet, thank you so much!)

Having a little after dinner pat...

Bright eyes...

Big eyes!

Charlotte Marguerite...

After a long wait, Charlotte Marguerite is finally here! Mommy and baby are doing great and Charlotte is already bright-eyed and very vocal!

She weighed in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 20 inches long. She's already met one set of grandparents and most importantly, she's met big sister Lily! (Who already adores her!)

We named the baby Charlotte after the city that Liz and I met in (and because we like the probable nicknames Charlie and Lottie; Lottie being my great-grandmother's name as well!) and Marguerite after my grandmother. (Lily was named after Liz's grandmother in England.)

We had a fairly uneventful birth with the exception of the inclusion of John Denver's "Country Roads," and all of the #1 hits of Elvis Presley. (The surgical team had an iPhone with awesome selections!) While we were not so much paying attention to the background music, I'm pretty sure the song that was playing when she was born was called "The Wonder of You." Other songs that played included, "Jailhouse Rock," "Don't Be Cruel," "Suspicious Minds," "Devil in Disguise," "Heartbreak Hotel," and "Burning Love." This is all significant because "Country Roads" is pretty much Lily's favorite song of the moment. She sings it ALL THE TIME! And, because of the Disney movie "Lilo and Stitch," she is loving everything Elvis, especially "Burning Love." (See previous blog posts...) It made us feel like Lily was there with us.

We are thrilled to be able to share our good news with you and hope to see you all soon!

Mike, Liz, Lily, and Baby Charlotte

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Two Years!

This was Liz's Facebook message today:

Lily waiting for her bus this morning handed me a "bouquet" of leaves..."Here's a beautiful bouquet for you Mommy because sometimes you don't need a reason to celebrate a normal day." Today marks the 2nd year anniversary of Lily's brain tumor resection. :) She is doing very well and is excited about her baby sister, Strawberry Princess', arrival next week!

Just a few more quick notes:

• She's a goof.
• She has used the words extremely, talisman, and talented just in the last couple of days. (And she knows what they mean.)
• She's excited about her new baby sister. (Which she believes we are having for her as a new pet.)
• We're still having some eye issues but vision is perfect.
• She's getting used to being more active and will still get some PT at school for awhile.
• Her favorite thing right now is riding the bus with her friend Reagan. (Who she negotiated 6 days of window time with.)
• We will still have MRI's for awhile but she's getting used to them and they are nearly so traumatic for her anymore...
• She's becoming a SUPER iPad user and could probably teach others in the near future!
• She's loving school and her new teacher.
• She majorly got the Smart Alack (sp?) gene. It's not Honey Boo Boo level sass, but it's up there.
• She had to create an "All About Me" poster for school and when asked why she was a star, she responded with, "because I care about others." And she does.
• Also, she's goof.

We continue to appreciate all the prayers and thoughts, even now. They work...

We love you all!

Mike, Liz, and Lily (And Strawberry Princess...whose real name we'll reveal in less than ten days!)

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Lily's Radio-Thon Spots...

97 Rock Radio is hosting their Radiothon for the Make A Wish foundation today. I recorded Lily doing her spots and Barbara's request that she called in!  Listen below!

(If the embeds below start automatically, hover over them and click pause to listen to them individually.)






If you'd like to access the Radio Station's page to listen live and/or make a donation for Make-A-Wish, CLICK HERE!

First Day of Kindergarten!

Fantastic first morning! Lily was up early and excited about the bus ride and about going to Kindergarten! 

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97 Rock Interview and Telethon

97 Rock, the local Rock Radio Station is having a Telethon next week for the Make-A-Wish foundation of Western New York.

They called us to do a promo spot with Lily so she could talk about her wish: Her Princess House! (Click the link to see the blog post!)

Lily got to record her spot, which will play at some point over the 28 hour telethon next Thursday and Friday. She got to meet some of the DJs and she even got to sing her favorite song into the microphone. (See video!)

If you want to listen live online next week: CLICK HERE! (I'll repost the blog next Thursday, too!)

Stroller is together!

Thanks to our family and our friends at Erie 1, we've got the new stroller/carseat combo together and ready! Although, Lily thinks it is hers and already has her babies in it. Thanks everybody!!!

Sent from my iPhone

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